Port Mann/Highway 1 Improvements | Completed

[Metro-One]

The only problem here is that people do not pay attention to signs / updates. So in the end it is really mostly the driver's faults.

After the new Pitt River Bridge opened it took months for there to no longer be someone always in the right lane making a last second dash to the left lane in order to go to Coquitlam instead of the mary Hill (before the new interchanged the pattern was the reverse). but there were three bays of overhead signage set up in the kilometer leading up to the split and not to mention all the renders online, along with newspaper traffic pattern updates, etc.... So again it was just people driving by habit and not actually being aware, it goes to show how bad so many drivers really are.

I figured out the new Mary Hill to #1 west bound on ramp configuration on the first go, simply looked at the overhead signs

[officedweller]

Edit - deleted

[xd_1771]

Directly from the article: "Normally it takes me 12 minutes to get home -- it took me 45 minutes to get to the Lougheed Highway and an hour to get home on Monday night," said David Smith, who works on Fawcett Road and lives just across the Port Mann Bridge in Surrey.

That means he is heading for Route 1 EB & Port Mann Bridge, and he would need to turn right at United Blvd. NB to get to Lougheed and the Route 1 entrance.
The BC MOT appears to be using "signage confusion" as an excuse, because if the right turn lanes were still there, properly signalized, etc. this wouldn't be happening, and his route would have been minimally changed. The right turn there must have been affected in some way. Problem is, nobody ever notices right turn lanes because they don't really build em that much in this province anyway. They're super underlooked. That right turn is a very important movement as it is.

[DKaz]

There were two dedicated right turn lanes for the MHB WB to UB EB movement. Of course, there will be temporary construction pains project wide until 2013. Nothing we didn't expect.

[cabotp]

Simple fact is most people are zombies and don't pay attention to what is going on around them. Then they get upset when their zombie drive is disrupted and feel it is never their fault.

There is no way you can build a project of this magnitude without having some kind of disruption in service. In fact I'm amazed that they have done this much without any reall disruption. They need a whole team just thinking about how the traffic was going to have to be moved at different points

Of course they could of gone the easy route and shut down the #1 and Port Man entirelly and then do the project *scarasm*

[xd_1771]

Well until recently (?) they've been maintaining those two important right turn lanes there.
Perhaps the latest work of moving the main lanes to Hwy 1 WB removed them somewhat

I could understand a short delay but to remove those lanes and impact traffic to cause 3x delay in some situations is going a bit too far, don't you think?
I swear, the Sea to Sky Highway project was handled better and that was much tougher than this...

[SpongeG]

if we are all talking about teh same thing the problem is people are still turning left and its holding up loads of traffic instead of following the changes - they need some policing down there ticket all the bastards who cheat

[DKaz]

How else are they supposed to build the new overpass?

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by xd_1771

That means he is heading for Route 1 EB & Port Mann Bridge, and he would need to turn right at United Blvd. NB to get to Lougheed and the Route 1 entrance.
The BC MOT appears to be using "signage confusion" as an excuse, because if the right turn lanes were still there, properly signalized, etc. this wouldn't be happening, and his route would have been minimally changed. The right turn there must have been affected in some way. Problem is, nobody ever notices right turn lanes because they don't really build em that much in this province anyway. They're super underlooked. That right turn is a very important movement as it is.

Actually no. If you read, he is coming from Fawcett Road, which is NOT on the MHB. He works near the Casino. So he is on United to begin with. He is stuck in traffic leading to the MHB intersection. No right turn conspiracy here.

Personally, I don't see how he could have made that trip before construction even started in 12 minutes. In the middle of the night going from Fawcett Road to the Surrey Auto Mall (the first destination you can reach in Surrey) takes at least 12 minutes.

Unless he is travelling at non peak hours, he is heading in Peak direction, through the busiest parts of Cap Horn, ALL of the busiest parts. That commute, from Fawcett Road to Surrey, for it's distance (as the crow flies) is probably the worst commute in the Lower Mainland (even before ANY construction).

I can't remember the last time it took me less than 10 minutes to go from United to the #1 EB ramp on Lougheed in rush hour. That ramp from Lougheed onto the PMB is at least as bad, if not worse, than 152nd street onto the PMB. I think the guy is an all out liar.

[SpongeG]

i went from lougheed mall to guildford town centre around 3:30 pm yesterday - traffic was really slw up until where the united blvd turn off is - once i hit there it was moving fast and took less than 10 minutes to get to guildford - so if he is entering at that spot it can be done

my friend lives in fleetwood and almost friday i go over there around 2-3 pm and it takes 15-20 mins at the most starting from lougheed mall area - the worst back up is around brunette for me once i get past that point and hit the bridge its not bad at all

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by DKaz

How else are they supposed to build the new overpass?

its not that bad really i travel through the area a lot for fun to check it out since i live in the area, they've done a great job making it passable and useable

its the drivers who need to be shot - there are numerous "no left turn" signs all over the place but drivers are ignoring them

[xd_1771]

I think he's right, at the moment it's an awful long way around just to get onto 1 eastbound, not that convenient, and probably not 12 minutes doable unless you get green lights the whole way. The new ramps to 1 eastbound from Fawcett (or are they truck only?) could fix that.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by xd_1771

UPDATE ON TRAFFIC SITUATON AS OF 3:15-3:45: Backups on 104th eastbound extend past 152nd under the Guildford overpass to at least 150th. Fully stopped parking lot between 154th and 156th. There is a noticeable increase in traffic on 154th southbound at the left turn as well as on 100th EB. The 154th SB left turn @ 100th, normally backed up a block or 2 to 101-101A due to conflicts with traffic coming north out of the school, is backed up to 102A/past the Guildford Heights Park today - a block longer. I have seen all this with my own eyes.

Unfortunately, I can attest to this.

Wow, thought there was likely an accident today along 104th between 156st and 160st, but I guess this explains it. Traffic along 104th Ave was backed up to 150th Street today.

...A full year of this?

Just brutal.


edit: First post!

[xd_1771]

Today afternoon?
I haven't been able to actually get up on 104th lately and Google maps wasn't providing any relevant data on traffic there. Normally (without the merge) traffic can get pretty bad enough and back up to 152nd however (though this is due only to bad light timings at 154th - not necessarily caused by anything ahead), it's really that bad on that stretch to begin with and that's what makes this a large scale problem. Every afternoon a huge volume of cars goes through there with intentions of going in all directions - incl. 156th NB to Fraser Heights, SB to Fleetwood, 160th to Fleetwood, 154th to 1 WB, and the 1 EB as well. They come in cars, there's plenty of trucks, and also plenty of bus routes that use 104th and are getting severely delayed by this.

Now that we have secondary proof as to this causing traffic outrage, perhaps we should think of solutions that we could possibly suggest to the construction teams....
My ideal solution: adding a left turn lane to 104th WB to 104th EB/160th (that's the main reason why we have all 104th EB cards yielding there), and then turning 104th EB into a signal controlled dual right turn, with the lanes splitting and one of those new traffic signal posts going in between, in order to accomodate truck radius. Still plenty of room to work with.

For now 100th eastbound seems to be getting by as an at least decent route to use..... not very fast but faster than 104th.

I'm expecting 104th in its entirety to get infinitely worse between 2012-2013, at least until the SFPR opens. That's going to send even more traffic avoiding a tolled PMB down this already-overcrowded, well under-capacity 4-lane road. If it were me though I'd be shortcutting through the local streets such as 102A, 101A... perhaps shortcutting like that through residential areas could become a possible concern during the next few years, and I'm definitely a NIMBY to something such as a line of cars just sitting there in a lineup, extending past my house, waiting to turn left on 160th NB or so. It's not happening yet but people will probably figure it out eventually...

[logicbomb]

Yeah, today at around 3-4pm.

I have to agree, 104th Ave between King George to 160th Street is one of the worst (busiest) roads to be on. Excessive truck traffic, bus stops, lack of right turn lanes and the lack of synchronization in traffic lights all contribute to this. 104th desperately needs bus pullout (turnouts) and right turn lanes. Don't get me started on the intersection at 104th Ave and 156 ST.

Perhaps the newly widened 96th avenue will shoulder some of the load off 104th Ave?

[SpongeG]

why are people using 104th?

if i am in surrey i avoid it always 96th is much better

[dharper]

Here is a picture from the webcam without a link.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cnnRwTH-RpUGiwDu-nVA4hKRe2iGG8IkMpkYQerN6Lg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_KjgIVaz21f8/TaCp-KI2KZI/AAAAAAAAAF4/TjDer2Wqrp8/s800/PortMann_PortMannNorth_20110409-1120.jpg" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/dohhboy/Apr92011?authkey=Gv1sRgCI-784LkkqHFywE&feat=embedwebsite">Apr 9, 2011</a></td></tr></table>

SORRY. Photo won't embed.

Here is the link: http://www.earthcam.com/clients/britishcolumbia/portmann/?cam=pm_north

[xd_1771]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Yeah, today at around 3-4pm.

I have to agree, 104th Ave between King George to 160th Street is one of the worst (busiest) roads to be on. Excessive truck traffic, bus stops, lack of right turn lanes and the lack of synchronization in traffic lights all contribute to this. 104th desperately needs bus pullout (turnouts) and right turn lanes. Don't get me started on the intersection at 104th Ave and 156 ST.

Perhaps the newly widened 96th avenue will shoulder some of the load off 104th Ave?

I used to live smack dab at 104th/156th and still live very close to there. I can definitely attest to anyone claiming of problems at 104th, especially in the stretches east of 152nd. 96th Avenue might be able to shoulder some of the load off 104th and I am really hoping for it; it seems well designed in places and there are bus bays, though there aren't any right turn lanes, and it appears that 96th will have to temporarily narrow to 1 lane per direction around the intersection where the ESSO gas station is.... so 96th may end up being just as bad in the long run. IMO all of Surrey road design has been consistently bad; the twinning of Fraser Highway probably helped with the overall situation but there are times now when I've seen the entire Highway backed up eastbound from Rte. 15 to Whalley (and I know people on here that can attest to this, in fact we were discussing it before) - primary reasons are the lack of bus bays and terrible traffic light synchronization/timing, both of which have become much worse on the new 4-lane Fraser Highway.

104th really worries me though as Surrey is currently planning to make the situation even worse by adding at-grade LRT lines on 104th (a-la Richmond No. 3 road pre-Canada line, just with rail tracks)... which is why I'm pushing for an overhead RRT/Skytrain system, and additionally also having it run on 108th - both leaving 104th alone and bringing it closer to more residential areas.

Oh did I mention the current transit connections between Whalley & Guildford are also quite terrible (as in 120% filled to capacity on all buses on all of the many Whalley-Guildford Routes during some times of day)

Personally I use 100th or 108th, both routes are much faster than 104th - 96th is also a great route. 104th seems the only good route to accomodate trucks, so until the SFPR we're not going to see any stop in truck traffic there. The majority of transit routes also use 104th, with few exceptions i.e. the 335 and 332 which use 108th (I try to use those transit routes instead of 501 or 320).

I was also able to travel on 1 eastbound today apporaching the 152nd street exit. The only thing warning you about the right lane exiting (as exit only) are lane markings. That lane has not been properly signed as exit only. This could be major problem as a lot of people - trucks especially - and on an uphill slope - are not going to know they have to merge left to stay on Route 1. We already know how bad it is at both Grandview Hwy and Mary Hill Bypass, and those places are actually well signed too.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by dharper

Here is a picture from the webcam without a link.

Here is the link: http://www.earthcam.com/clients/britishcolumbia/portmann/?cam=pm_north

SWEET!

Major score! Thanks!

[xd_1771]

So that new webcam basically details the north approach construction.... nice, but at the moment it looks somewhat far from interesting